Robredo vows to prioritize poorest, remotest areas

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday reiterated her commitment to prioritize the poorest and farthest communities in the country if she wins in the May 9 general elections.

During her visit to Romblon, she noted how small communities across the country have less access to different government programs.

“So under a Robredo presidency, we will turn this around. The farther you are, the smaller and poorer your community is, the more priority you will have. Because for a very long time, you had difficulty in accessing help from the government,” Robredo said in Filipino.

She also stressed the importance for the president to visit the farthest and poorest communities, saying only then will he or she understand the plight of those living in these areas.

“You really have to immerse yourself. Immerse, talk to people. There are things that you cannot appreciate just by looking at reports,” she said.

“Visiting places, that is something that we will continue doing (if elected) because a visit from the president really spurs rural development. That gives attention to the area,” she added.

She highlighted different programs implemented by her office, such as the establishment of community learning hubs and support for the education sector.

“We will focus on this further once we have more resources and a bigger mandate,” she said.

Oil price hike

Asked what the government can do to alleviate the impact of the rising fuel cost for fishermen, Robredo said the executive could immediately provide assistance to those who are affected.

In addition to suspending excise taxes, the Vice President said the government should also consider other measures to address the situation.

“For example, we can assess if the minimum wage is enough to cushion the blow of inflation,” said Robredo.

Red-tagging

Meanwhile, Robredo and her camp called out the red-tagging of their supporters and denied any plan of having a coalition government with communist groups.

“Over the course of this campaign, we have seen more than our fair share of attacks and fake news against VP Leni. But this blatant and persistent red-tagging, masked as ‘concern’ is a new low,” Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez said.

“For the record, there is no ‘coalition government’ being contemplated, and to leap to the absurd conclusion that there is, based on self-serving reports, supposedly ‘validated’ by someone desperate for a seat in the party-list elections, is the height of irresponsibility,” he added.

While Gutierrez did not identify any person in his statement, it was Robredo’s rival Sen. Panfilo Lacson who expressed concern over a possible coalition government with communist groups.